Engine oil eventually becomes contaminated with sludge, metal particles and other debris and must be periodically removed from the engine and replaced with fresh oil. Relatively recent environmental concerns call for the earth-friendly disposal of the used oil with the oil preferably being recycled. Currently, most automobile engines are designed so that the oil pan is the reservoir for circulation of engine oil. Engine oil is drawn from the oil pan and then pumped tinder pressure through internal oil distribution passages drilled in the engine block, crank shaft, connecting rods, bearings, etc. The oil lubricates the parts of the engine and then drains back to the oil pan to be recirculated again. The oil is also normally passed through an oil filter mounted on the engine within the circulation pathway. A drain plug is located in the lower region of the oil pan and to change the oil, this drain plug is removed and the oil is permitted to flow under gravity out of the pan and into a receptacle placed underneath the engine. The drain plug is replaced after the oil has been allowed to drain out of the engine. Typically, at this time the oil filter is also replaced. New oil is then poured into the engine through an inlet to the oil distribution system, the inlet being located at or near the top of the engine. This process of changing engine oil can be both time consuming and messy. Additionally, the process results in a collection of spent, contaminated, oil and an oil filter which must be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
Several U.S. patents issued to Bedi (i.e., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,209,198, 5,090,376) illustrate another technique for changing engine oil. Essentially, an external pump device is connected to the oil distribution system and the oil is pumped out of the engine. This method has an advantage over the above gravity removal method in that practically all of the oil can be removed from the system. Also, the oil removed from the engine can be easily collected and recycled. However, this method is not well suited for home use due to the expense and size limitations of the device.
Several patents disclose novel designs For oil filters. U.S. Patent No. 2,348,247 to DuShane Jr. teaches an oil filter and means whereby the oil in the oil filter is temperature controlled so the oil will travel quickly through the filter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,187 to Booth teaches an apparatus for filtering and cooling oil. Neither of these references teaches a unitized filter and oil reservoir encased within a cartridge whereby the entire supply of oil can be collected in the reservoir and in which the oil and the filter are removed and discarded, preferably via recycling.